Preview — Infernal Angels
by Loren D. Estleman

Break out the champagne--it's the twenty-first Amos Walker noir detective novel!Much like author Loren D. Estleman, Detroit private investigator Amos Walker has long been reluctant to embrace technology--he only recently got his first cell phone. Walker is hired to do a twenty-first-century job--recovering HDTV converter boxes stolen from a retailer whose shop also does viBreak out the champagne--it's the twenty-first Amos Walker noir detective novel!Much like author Loren D. Estleman, Detroit private investigator Amos Walker has long been reluctant to embrace technology--he only recently got his first cell phone. Walker is hired to do a twenty-first-century job--recovering HDTV converter boxes stolen from a retailer whose shop also does vintage resale business. Before long, the case turns old school: both a suspect and the man who lost the boxes are murdered, and Walker ends up working with both the local police and the feds. The converter boxes were being used to smuggle high-grade heroin that's been killing off junkies left and right, and it's up to Walker to track down the missing dope.

Old friends and even older enemies resurface before this story is done, and Walker has to take a few beatings if he wants to find out who has been trafficking the drugs and bring the crooks to justice. This old dog still has a few new tricks, and there hasn't been a case yet that Walker couldn't crack....more

ebook, 272 pages

Published
July 5th 2011
by Forge Books
(first published June 21st 2011)

Community Reviews

Detroit P.I. Amos Walker appears for the twenty-first time in Infernal Angels. As always, the case seems innocuous enough at the beginning: a resale dealer has been burglarized and twenty-five HDTV converters have been stolen.

Amos is a detective of the old school who still drives a souped-up Oldsmobile Cutlass and who only recently--and begrudgingly--got a cell phone. He wouldn't know an HDTV converter from an Xbox 360. The dealer patiently shows him the sample he was sent ahead of the shipmentDetroit P.I. Amos Walker appears for the twenty-first time in Infernal Angels. As always, the case seems innocuous enough at the beginning: a resale dealer has been burglarized and twenty-five HDTV converters have been stolen.

Amos is a detective of the old school who still drives a souped-up Oldsmobile Cutlass and who only recently--and begrudgingly--got a cell phone. He wouldn't know an HDTV converter from an Xbox 360. The dealer patiently shows him the sample he was sent ahead of the shipment that was stolen and explains what it does. That night, the resale man appears on television, showing the sample converter to a reporter who has tumbled to the story.

Bad move.

The burglar, or burglars, now realizing that they apparently missed one of the converters, return to the scene and steal it, this time killing the resale dealer in the process. One might wonder why in the hell an HDTV converter, or even twenty-six of them, would be worth all this trouble, but as Walker belatedly discovers, the twenty-five that were originally stolen were packed with super high-grade heroin and were shipped to the resale dealer by accident.

Now a fortune in primo heroin is missing and drug addicts are dropping like flies on the streets of Detroit. The dealer had hired Walker for three days, and Amos feels honor-bound to give the man his due, even though the client has now expired. This will involve him with a lot of rough characters and, to make matters worse, the local cops and the Feds will soon be all over his case.

Amos Walker is his own man, and he doesn't take a lot of crap from people, irrespective of their rank. As is usually the case in these books, his determination and his insubordination will get him into a lot of trouble. It will also get the crap beaten out of him a couple of times, which is no small thing for a guy who's getting on in years. But Walker will soldier on as always, and will see the case through to the end, no matter the outcome or the risk to his own well-being.

This is a very good entry in an excellent series. If you like your action down and gritty and your P.I.s clever, tough and mouthy, you'll want to search it out.

I found this murder mystery to be a littlee too hard boiled for my taste--and kind of convoluted (which are not too criticisms that normally go together. The book was enjoyed more by my spouse, who likes this sort of mystery far better than I do.

Library JournalFew authors could write a gripping crime novel about the theft of HDTV convertor boxes in Detroit; but if the tale is told by esteemed noir writer Estleman, sit back and enjoy the ride. Motown's most cantankerous gumshoe is back in his 21st novel, and he's never been more irrepressible or caustic. When Amos Walker (The Left-Handed Dollar) gets a tip on a client looking to recover some stolen convertor boxes, he signs on for a few days worReviewed for Library Journal. Review below:

Library JournalFew authors could write a gripping crime novel about the theft of HDTV convertor boxes in Detroit; but if the tale is told by esteemed noir writer Estleman, sit back and enjoy the ride. Motown's most cantankerous gumshoe is back in his 21st novel, and he's never been more irrepressible or caustic. When Amos Walker (The Left-Handed Dollar) gets a tip on a client looking to recover some stolen convertor boxes, he signs on for a few days work. What follows is the uncovering of a heroin smuggling ring that turns an easy case into a federal investigation. Throw in the widow of an infamous crime boss, dead junkies, and Walker's increasing dependency on Vicodin, and you've got yourself a great story. VERDICT While this mystery can be read as a stand-alone, it is more enjoyable when the reader is familiar with the cast of characters from past adventures. Gritty and full of depressing facts about an American city that has seen better days, this would strongly appeal to fans of Raymond Chandler, Ross MacDonald, and other authors of hard-boiled detective fiction.—Amy Nolan, St. Joseph P.L., MI...more

Estleman, Loren D. INFERNAL ANGELS. (2011). ****. Turns out that this is the twenty-first novel from Mr. Estleman featuring his P.I. protagonist, Amos Walker. I thought I’d read them all, but discovered that I missed two. That will soon be corrected. Estleman is a superb crafter of P.I. novels, and has, over the years, allowed his readers to grow old with Walker. This case starts out as a simple job for Walker in finding out where a bunch of HDTV converter boxes might have ended up after they weEstleman, Loren D. INFERNAL ANGELS. (2011). ****. Turns out that this is the twenty-first novel from Mr. Estleman featuring his P.I. protagonist, Amos Walker. I thought I’d read them all, but discovered that I missed two. That will soon be corrected. Estleman is a superb crafter of P.I. novels, and has, over the years, allowed his readers to grow old with Walker. This case starts out as a simple job for Walker in finding out where a bunch of HDTV converter boxes might have ended up after they were stolen from his client’s store. His client ran a business that dealt in supplying retro electronics and other gear from the 1950s and 1960s to those people who were going through nostalgia early on. Walker soon finds out where the converters had been after following a trail through a series of fences, but suddenly learned that the converters themselves were of little real interest to the thieves. Instead, the units had been gutted and filled with a very high grade of heroin. Of course, the original owners of the drugs had to get them back, since they were sent to Walker’s client by mistake. We’re talking street values of billions of dollars. On top of that, the heroin was so pure that having it hit the street in its present form would lead to massive deaths by ODs. Walker has his work cut out for him, and has to supply no end of his acquired skills to track down the heroin and the masterminds behind it. This is P.I. detection at its best. Recommended....more

In the twenty-first novel in the wonderful Amos Walker series, Loren Estleman once again captures the spirit of Detroit, as much a character in the novel as it is the mise en scene. As the author describes it, it is a city which “continued its slug’s crawl toward bleak oblivion.” Although the tale begins innocuously enough, when Walker is hired to recover 25 stolen cable-TV converter boxes, it is soon apparent that there is more going on than meets the eye, when two people with whom Walker has sIn the twenty-first novel in the wonderful Amos Walker series, Loren Estleman once again captures the spirit of Detroit, as much a character in the novel as it is the mise en scene. As the author describes it, it is a city which “continued its slug’s crawl toward bleak oblivion.” Although the tale begins innocuously enough, when Walker is hired to recover 25 stolen cable-TV converter boxes, it is soon apparent that there is more going on than meets the eye, when two people with whom Walker has spoken turn up dead, within hours of those meetings.

Walker is undaunted, and pursues the case with even greater zeal. He is no longer invincible, he admits: “In the pursuit of my profession I’d been shot, beaten, coldcocked, drugged, and threatened with death . . . It would be a good joke on a lot of bad people if it was a heart episode that took me.” The title derives from the line, soon after the second body is discovered, that of a man Walker had known for years: “Once you’d made the decision to live on the dark side of the moon, all your friends were infernal angels at best.”

His descriptions of several characters are exquisite portraits. Of a detective: “He’d lost flesh from age and the weight of the world, pasting skin to bone like shrink-wrap. His boys were grown and married, one of them was still speaking to him, and his wife, who earned more money than he did working shorter hours, was often away on business. Home for him was just a place to change horses between shifts;” of a colleague: “His face was the same vintage as mine, but he ironed his more often and packed it in ice overnight;” a building caretaker “an ambulatory dandelion gone to seed.” The prose is equal parts elegance and street.

There are perfect fleeting references on such eclectic topics as jazz musicians, politics and politicians past and present, and The Snows of Kilimanjaro, as well as little-known facts on historical figures as diverse as Black Bart and Marcus Garvey, and nostalgia for Tigers Stadium.

A fast-paced and consistently witty entry in this terrific series, it is highly recommended....more

My first try at the Amos Walker series. Awful, just awful. Grand conspiracies all around, one stereotypical character after another, people speaking in entire paragraphs, one after another. If telling rather than showing was a crime, this author would have to serve about ten consecutive life sentences. It doesn't help that the publisher of the hardcover edition had their proofreaders on strike (e.g."inherant").

Great! Classic detective story set in 21st century Detroit! Loren puts you in his back pocket for the ride!Snappy dialog - written in a gritty but entertaining style! I'll read more of this author's work!

Some fun. I was amused when Amos Walker finally admitted he could not do without a cell phone. He finally is catching up.

Another little item I enjoyed so much was the Detroit Free Press reporter, Barry's, comment when he and Amos were in the riverfront warehouse district. He said: I was born to late, I should be shooting rumrunners with a Speed Graphic. My father had a Speed Graphic and photographed the J. T. Wing, the last sailing ship on the Great Lakes, in the Detroit River. Just after, theSome fun. I was amused when Amos Walker finally admitted he could not do without a cell phone. He finally is catching up.

Another little item I enjoyed so much was the Detroit Free Press reporter, Barry's, comment when he and Amos were in the riverfront warehouse district. He said: I was born to late, I should be shooting rumrunners with a Speed Graphic. My father had a Speed Graphic and photographed the J. T. Wing, the last sailing ship on the Great Lakes, in the Detroit River. Just after, the ship was grabbed because it was smuggling. Dad wondered why the sailors were so threatening. ...more

I only gave it 2 stars. I've been reading Estleman for 30 years, and am a big fan. But I found this one difficult to get through. The writing is stilted and convoluted - almost as if someone else was trying to write like Estleman. I usually enjoy his metaphors - for instance, in a previous novel he wrote - "When it's February in Detroit, it's been winter forever" is almost a haiku. Sentences in this book seem endless. And the plot is way too convoluted. Still better than many other writers,and II only gave it 2 stars. I've been reading Estleman for 30 years, and am a big fan. But I found this one difficult to get through. The writing is stilted and convoluted - almost as if someone else was trying to write like Estleman. I usually enjoy his metaphors - for instance, in a previous novel he wrote - "When it's February in Detroit, it's been winter forever" is almost a haiku. Sentences in this book seem endless. And the plot is way too convoluted. Still better than many other writers,and I will continue to read him, but this was a disapointment. ...more

I've been a long-time fan of the P.I. Amos Walker mystery series based in blue-collar, gritty Detroit and its environs. This latest entry is up to the series' usual excellence. Amos gets involved with stolen HDTV converter boxes which soon escalates into a case of more evil and mayhem than he signed on for originally. Mr. Estleman's hardboiled prose is stylish and picturesque, part of why I enjoy reading his crime fiction as well as Westerns. If you have a yen for reading a modern private eye prI've been a long-time fan of the P.I. Amos Walker mystery series based in blue-collar, gritty Detroit and its environs. This latest entry is up to the series' usual excellence. Amos gets involved with stolen HDTV converter boxes which soon escalates into a case of more evil and mayhem than he signed on for originally. Mr. Estleman's hardboiled prose is stylish and picturesque, part of why I enjoy reading his crime fiction as well as Westerns. If you have a yen for reading a modern private eye protagonist, Amos Walker will rarely disappoint. ...more

#22 in the Amos Walker series. Amos Walker is an old school, blue-collar detective in hard-scrabble, blue collar Detroit.

Amos Walker is hired to recover HDTV converter boxes stolen from a retailer whose shop also does vintage resale business. Before long, the case turns old school: both a suspect and the man who lost the boxes are murdered, and Walker ends up working with both the local police and the feds.

Classic Detroit Gumshoe Noir with plenty of interesting dialogue,gritty characters and Estleman's own unique style. Of course the plot revolves around the rampant graft/corruption permeating the decaying rust belt former metropolis. Very enjoyable.

The book had an interesting concept but the writing style just didn't work for me. It seemed unrealistic the way the characters talked much too elaborate. Had a hard time finishing the book so that's why I rated this book as such.

Loren D. Estleman is an American writer of detective and Western fiction. He writes with a manual typewriter.

Estleman is most famous for his novels about P.I. Amos Walker. Other series characters include Old West marshal Page Murdock and hitman Peter Macklin. He has also written a series of novels about the history of crime in Detroit (also the setting of his Walker books.) His non-series works inLoren D. Estleman is an American writer of detective and Western fiction. He writes with a manual typewriter.

Estleman is most famous for his novels about P.I. Amos Walker. Other series characters include Old West marshal Page Murdock and hitman Peter Macklin. He has also written a series of novels about the history of crime in Detroit (also the setting of his Walker books.) His non-series works include Bloody Season, a fictional recreation of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and several novels and stories featuring Sherlock Holmes.